MEET THE SDSM STAFF

Proud to providE exceptional care 

At San Diego Sexual Medicine, all staff are trained to care for patients in a compassionate and respectful manner, from the moment you call for an appointment to the time you leave with your sexual medicine management strategy.

Irwin Goldstein, MD

Director and Sexual Medicine Physician

Dr. Irwin Goldstein has been involved with sexual dysfunction research since the late 1970′s. His interests include penile microvascular bypass surgery, surgery for dyspareunia, physiologic investigation of sexual function in men and women, and diagnosis and treatment of sexual dysfunction in men and women. He has authored more than 350 publications in the field of sexual dysfunction, with 20 consecutive years of funding by the National Institutes of Health in this area. He is Editor-in Chief of Sexual Medicine Reviews and founding editor of The Journal of Sexual Medicine.

Alyssa M Yee, MD

Consultant Sexual Medicine Physician

Dr. Alyssa Yee is a Sexual Medicine Physician and Reconstructive Urologist who completed her clinical fellowship at San Diego Sexual Medicine in 2021-2022 under the mentorship of Dr. Irwin Goldstein. In her fellowship, she was awarded the SMSNA Foundation Research grant to investigate the pathophysiology of neuroproliferative vestibulodynia--a painful sexual condition of the vulva. Drawing from her research, Dr. Yee innovated the first sub-epithelial complete vestibulectomy surgery, allowing for decreased blood loss and post-operative pain with excellent response.

Dr. Yee proudly draws on her experience as a patient advocate for the Crime Victims Treatment Center of New York as the inspiration for pursuing a medical career and for providing compassionate care. A long-time New Yorker, she is an esteemed graduate of SUNY Downstate College of Medicine and holds a bachelor's degree in Architecture from Barnard College at Columbia University. She completed a urological surgery residency at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn. Her professional and research interests include neuroproliferative vestibulodynia, genitourinary syndrome of menopause, hormonally mediated sexual pain, reconstructive urology, access to care, and penile prosthetic surgery. She is involved in several health-related non-profit organizations and sits on the medical advisory board for World Vasectomy Day as well as the Tight Lipped podcast. In her spare time, Dr. Yee loves cooking, dancing, and flying trapeze.

Rose Hartzell, PhD, EdS, CHES, LMFT

Sex Therapist

Dr. Hartzell performs psychotherapy at San Diego Sexual Medicine, where she is responsible for addressing the sexuality, relationship, and intimacy concerns of individuals and couples who attend the clinic. Dr. Hartzell earned her doctorate in health behavior with an emphasis in human sexuality, and an EdS and Masters in mental health counseling with a minor in development from Indiana University. Dr. Hartzell is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (license number 53079) and an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist who has worked in a variety of settings, providing psychotherapy for individuals, couples, and families. She also has completed training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).

Shalaine Corbilla, DNP-C, Catherine Gagnon, FNP-BC, Julea Minton NP-C and Katherine Rensink, AANP-C

Nurse Practitioners

Shalaine Corbilla, Catherine Gagnon, Julea Minton amd Katherine (Katie) Rensink are Board Certified Nurse Practitioners at San Diego Sexual Medicine. Dr. Corbilla has been working in hospital settings since earning her doctorate and now works at SDSM part-time. While attending nursing school she was a medical assistant at SDSM. Ms. Gagnon has worked in a variety of settings including Private Practice & Planned Parenthood. Ms. Gagnon has worked on and off at SDSM for more than a decade, having been at a local family medicine practice prior to joining us. Ms. Minton worked extensively at Planned Parenthood before joining San Diego Sexual Medicine. She now splits her time between SDSM and an online dermatology practice. Ms. Gagnon currently works Tuesdays nad Wednesdays, Ms. Minton currently works Thursdays, while Dr. Corbilla works Fridays. They have all been involved in a number of sexual dysfunction clinical trials in men and women. Ms. Rensink joins us after working for many years a Planned Parenthood. She works Monday through Thursday. Dr. Corbilla earned her doctorate at University of San Diego. Our other nurse practitioners all earned their Master’s Degrees in Nursing from University of San Diego.

Sue W. Goldstein, BA, CCRC, AASECT-CSE, IF

Clinical Research Manager, Program Coordinator

Mrs. Goldstein is an AASECT certified sexuality educator and certified clinical research coordinator. She serves as clinical research manager and program coordinator for San Diego Sexual Medicine, where she is site manager for clinical trials, responsible for educational programs and coordinates with the Sexual Medicine program at Alvarado Hospital. Currently you may also find her at the front desk, helping patient check in, check out, and navigate their sexual healthcare as part of the Spine-Sex Med program. Sue combines her knowledge of sexual medicine, her writing skills and her years of fund-raising for non-profit organizations in this position to create educational programs for health care clinicians, industry and the public while raising funds to support The Institute for Sexual Medicine, Inc, a charitable corporation dedicated to research and education in the field. She is also President of the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health.

Claudia Gardner

Controller, Director of Business Development

Claudia Gardner has worked at San Diego Sexual Medicine from 2011-2018 and again starting in 2020 when the Navy moved her husband back to San Diego. After graduating from Brown University Ms. Gardner worked in banking before joining San Diego Sexual Medicine. She was recently promoted to Controller when Robert O'Meara retired after 13 years with us.

Comprehensive Therapy Services

Physical Therapist

Cindy Furey started Comprehensive Therapy Services, Inc. (CTS) in 1997 with a vision for a one-stop shop for comprehensive physical and mental well-being for patients. At CTS, therapists strive to deliver the highest quality of multi-disciplinary physical therapy in a comforting and fun environment. Their dedicated team of professionals including Cindy Furey PT, Elizabeth Leeds PT, DPT, and Anne Shea DPT partner with our patients to establish a pathway to healing. CTS accepts most insurance plans.

Noel N. Kim, PhD, Consultant

Dr. Kim is a Senior Investigator at the Institute for Sexual Medicine in San Diego, as well as an associate editor of Sexual Medicine Reviews.  Dr. Kim has been engaged in research on the physiology of sexual dysfunction since the mid-1980s and has published and lectured extensively.  He was among the early investigators to describe the role of nitric oxide in penile erection and has consistently contributed to the field of sexual medicine, being recognized with numerous research prizes from various sexual medicine societies.  He previously served as the Assistant Director of the Laboratory for Sexual Medicine Research at the Boston University School of Medicine and was a member of the editorial board of The Journal of Sexual Medicine for the first decade of the journal through 2014. Dr. Kim received his BA in biology, MA in biochemistry and PhD in physiology from Boston University and completed a research fellowship in cardiology at the University of California, San Diego.


Clinical Staff

Front and back office staff, Samantha Porres, Talia Wexler and JoAnna Williams have been specially trained to help with your questions on the phone, at registration and during your visit, and to assist Dr. Goldstein and our other healthcare providers, Katie, Julea, and Shalaine in diagnosing and treating your sexual health problems.

Research Staff

Clinical research is performed by a research team including Certified Clinical Research Coordinator JoAnna Williams and Research Assistant/Rectuirment specialist Claudia Gardner, with oversight provided by Sue Goldstein, Clinical Research Manager. All have been specially trained to conduct clinical research involving sexual health and related problems.

PreceptorshipsFellowships